Arrest Made In Murder Of NW Miami-Dade Mother

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A teen has been charged in a deadly northwest Miami-Dade shooting which took the life of a young mother.

Surveillance video shows two males entering a convenience store off Northwest 62 Street about 1 a.m. on December 26th. After a few minutes waiting at the counter, they leave and walk up to the apartment building across the street. Within seconds, they’re both seen firing a number of rounds through the fence and running across the road.

Dynette Early, 31, who was sitting outside the apartment building talking to family members, was shot and killed. Police say she was not the intended target.

Her friends said her children came outside and tried to wake her up after she was shot.

“It’s just so senseless,” said Daphne Early, aunt of victim Dynette Early. “Like I said if these kids don’t start believing in God their lives are totally lost. This has to start first, feeling God.”

Daphne says the suspect in this cast is just a child.

James Wooden, 16, is facing a second-degree murder charge.

CBS4 has learned that he may eventually be charged as an adult for this crime.

“You took a good person that didn’t do nothin’ to nobody, she didn’t do nothin’ to nobody, said Early’s best friend Cindy Tyler. “She was a mother, I’d go to work with her every day, we’d go to work together. She loved her kids, she just wanted to be there for her kids.”

Wooden was given an assistant public defender and will be held in secure detention for 21 days, until February 5th.

Daphne is still overwhelmed by the loss of her 31-year-old niece.

“She was a nice person,” Daphne said. “A hard working mom who was always there for her kids and always part of football for her sons. She was just a young mother doing the right thing to raise her kids.”

Police are still looking for the second person in the shooting.

“It tears us apart and like I say I have a 15-year-old grandson and I would die if I knew he would be around someone walking around with guns,” said Daphne. “Where do these kids at 16 years old get high powered guns from.”

Wooden’s mother and grandmother did not want to speak to the media after hearing at the children’s courthouse.

His appearance was waived and the judge found probable cause for the charges.

“It’s sad, he’s a child,” said Daphne. “He’s somebody’s child you know. I feel bad for his parents but I feel real bad for my sister-in-law. She now has to raise Dyenette’s 3 kids.”

Along with police, Daphne and Cindy are hoping the second person involved in the shooting will come forward.

“He needs to turn himself in,” said Daphne. “His parents need to tell him to turn himself in and I’m quite sure the young man they’ve arrested he knows who he was with that night when he shot up Dyenette’s house.”

“Come forward if you did it or had anything to do with it, even the the people saying that he’s not wrong, he is wrong, he took a mother from three kids. Three kids that are 11, 10 and nine and have to grow up without a momma, you know how that feels, do you know how that feels when a child tells you they want their momma and you can’t do nothing about it. I just hope she gets justice and they get what they deserve,” said Tyler.

Anyone with information is urged to Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).